CONTROVERSIAL plans to bring a big wheel back to York have been dramatically withdrawn at the eleventh hour – because of bats.

Last night, York Museums Trust dropped its application to site the 53-metre wheel behind York Art Gallery, less than 24 hours before City of York Council’s planning committee was due to consider it.

Mike Slater, the council’s assistant director in city strategy, said the trust had recently received a “bat scoping survey report” from its ecologist.

He said: “The report states that ‘in view of the uncertainties surrounding the status of bats using the site, it is strongly recommended that bat activity surveys and remote recording of bat activity is carried out after mid-May.

“These surveys cannot be undertaken now as bats are in hibernation and away from their summer roosts’.”

Trust chief executive Janet Barnes said: “We are very disappointed having to withdraw the application at this late stage.

“However, we understand entirely the need for a full bat survey. We will take time to consider the best way forward over the next few days.”

She said a further statement would be made today.

Great City Attractions, who would operate the wheel, declined to comment last night.

Philip Thake, chief executive of York Conservation Trust, which opposed the wheel, said: “My initial reaction was one of delight that it had been withdrawn but in some ways I would rather it had gone to the committee, because I was convinced after today’s site visit that they would have refused it anyway.”

The news scuppers tourism chiefs’ hopes that the wheel would be put up in Museum Gardens by Easter, in time for the start of York’s main tourist season.

The announcement was made hours after committee members had paid a visit to the proposed site of the wheel in the Museum Gardens yesterday afternoon.

Councillors wandered through the muddy and weed-strewn area, where several semi-derelict huts would need to be demolished, and several local residents took the opportunity to speak out against the proposals.

They claimed the wheel would be out of character for the area, spoil views of the Minster and overlook local homes, and might disturb their children’s sleep.

One resident, David Campbell, said: “It’s out of character and inappropriate. It sells York as a theme park.”

Another, Anne Guerri, said: “It’s huge and it’s going to have an impact on a residential area. I cannot believe you are even considering it.”

A dispute also broke out over conflicting artists’ impressions showing the impact of the wheel on views of the Minster from Clifton.

One, produced by Peter Brown of York Civic Trust, which opposed the proposals, showed the structure almost blocking the view. But another, produced by the applicant, showed it having a much lesser impact.

Conservation organisations and York Minster officials have strongly opposed the wheel, but business and tourism leaders supported it, saying it would boost York’s important tourism economy.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of the tourism organisation Visit York, said last night: “It is disappointing that there appears to be a delay, but we are still hopeful it can go ahead at a later date.

“We have always stressed the legacy of the development of that land.”